Tag: onions

Zucchini Fritters

zucchini fritters

 

 

To end FRIENDS week on NJSD I have an excellent recipe from Cindy for zucchini fritters. You’ll have the kids eating their vegetables without a fuss with these babies!

Cindy and I go way back. So far back, that I think we were destined to be friends before we were even born. Before I was born, Mama carried two babies (two different pregnancies) to around seven months when she lost them. Around the same time, her mother was having difficulty getting pregnant. They were friends and were there to support each other during those sad days.

Cindy and I grew up in the same small North Georgia town. Our friendship is one of the most genuine and unpretentious friendships that I have. Maybe that comes from being friends so long. We learned to drive together, had long talks about boys (which brings to mind some hilarious times), we’ve been there for weddings and births and have supported each other in hard times too. She is an only child, but I spent so much time at her house growing up that I’m sure her parents often felt that they had another child. Our friendship is priceless, and I cherish it more than Cindy will ever know.

She gave me this scrumptious recipe a while back. It comes together so fast, and these fritters taste great. Here are a few tips for flying fritters:

1. Do not overcrowd the pan when frying the fritters. If you drop too many into the pan at one time, you’ll cool the oil, and the fritters will not cook through.

2. Fry fritters at 350°F, they’ll cook fast enough not to absorb the oil and get soggy, but slowly enough not to burn before they have cooked completely.

3. They are best eaten right away. The longer they sit, the heavier and less crispy they’ll get. Sprinkle with salt and parmesan immediately so they’ll melt into the hot fritters, and then serve as soon as possible.

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Zucchini Fritters
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 medium zucchini, grated
  • ½ c. onion, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ c. plain cornmeal
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Grate zucchini into a medium size bowl. Toss with a pinch of salt and place in a mesh strainer. Place the strainer over the bowl and let stand for about 15 minutes. Remove strainer and reserve the water in bowl. Place zucchini in a mixing bowl and add the grated onion. Add egg, salt and pepper and mix. Sprinkle the flour and cornmeal over the zucchini and mix together. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, heat canola oil over medium-high heat to 350°F.
  3. Stir zucchini mixture, the consistency should be a little thicker than pancake batter. If it seems too thick you can add a little bit of the reserved water.
  4. Drop by heaping spoonfuls into the hot oil cooking 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Immediately sprinkle with salt and grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

 

Philly Cheesesteak Queso Dip

philly-cheesesteak-queso-dip

FRIENDS week continues with Sherri.  I met Sherri when I was five or six years old. We met at a church my dad pastored of at the time. We stood next to each other in a Christmas play and held up one of the letters in CHRISTMAS. We may have said something like “C stands for…”, but I can’t remember that part. We grew up in the same small town but went to different schools until we were in high school. Still, I knew who she was. When you live in a small town, you are familiar with who everybody is. Even when we got to high school, she was a grade ahead of me and we never actually became friends.

Fast forward about five years, when I took a job with a dermatologist in Atlanta. Sherri happened to work there, and we hit it off from the start. She was married (to my first boyfriend), and I married Greg while working there. Neither of us cooked very much in those days, but we would have them over for spaghetti, and they would have us over for lasagna. We gave each other baby showers and talked every day during the early years of our kids lives. A lot of things have changed over the years, but our friendship remains. There was a time in our lives that we would go months without talking. We can chalk that up to raising our kids, one bad marriage, and a few moves. Still, when we did talk, we would pick up right where we left off. That’s a sign of true friendship.

A few years ago Sherri’s second husband, Dale, was diagnosed with cancer. Our talks started to become more frequent, funny how difficult times will do that. Dale lost his battle almost a year ago. Sherri’s example of faith, love, and resilience has been an inspiration to me.

Sherri is another friend that does not cook a lot. She occasionally hosts Bunco at her house and will cook for then but other than that she is just not into it. Some of my favorite recipes have come from her, though. My apple dumpling recipe, her grandma’s chewy chocolate pies, a delicious oriental dip, and this amazing Philly cheesesteak cheese dip!

This recipe is very simple to make and can be heated in a crock pot. An iron skillet makes a lovely presentation though. After heating in the crock pot, transfer to an iron skillet. Top with shredded Provolone cheese and stick under the broiler. Watch carefully and remove when melted. I prefer this recipe made with leftover roast beef. I finely chop and freeze in 1 cup portions for convenience.

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Philly Cheesesteak Queso Dip
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • ½ c. diced green bell pepper
  • ¼ c. diced onions
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 c. finely chopped leftover roast beef or deli roast beef
  • 4-oz. can diced green chiles
  • 1 lb. white Velveeta Queso cheese, cubed
  • ¼ c. milk
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • baguette, slices or cubed and very lightly toasted
Instructions
  1. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat; saute the bell pepper, onions, and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add to the crock pot on low heat. Add the roast beef, green chiles, Velveeta, milk, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Cover, stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth and creamy and the cheese has melted. Serve with very lightly toasted baguette slices or cubes.

philly-cheesesteak-queso-dip

Three-Bean Salad

three bean salad

 

 

Here’s another great vegetable salad recipe. This recipe uses convenient canned vegetables, which makes it an easy year-round recipe. This salad has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was always on the table at family get-togethers, and it’s great for cookouts and picnics.

My mom uses Splenda in place of sugar, which is an excellent option. You can mix up the beans. Try adding frozen English peas in place of chickpeas, or maybe cannellini (white kidney beans) rather than red kidney beans. Stored in an airtight container it last about one week in the refrigerator.

Three-Bean Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 (15.5-oz.) can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can cut green beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ c. chopped bell pepper
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • ½ c. white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Pour rinsed and drained beans into a large bowl. Add chopped bell pepper and onions. Mix and set aside.
  2. Mix vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over bean mixture and gently mix. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

 

Smoky Gouda Grits and Shrimp

Smoky Gouda Shrimp and Grits

We were in Pensacola recently for a long weekend. It was fun and relaxing! We went to the Crawfish Festival, met up with some old friends, visited a favorite antique shop, went to a few of our favorite restaurants and drove by our old house. Most were unchanged, except for some major road work in front of the subdivision and some horrendous apparatus on the back of my house! Yes, my house! We put everything we had in that house, completely changing the floor plan, going out to the site every day, & picking out every single thing that went into it. Miranda Lambert even wrote a song about it! If you’ve built a house, I’m sure you know. It made me a little homesick. I can still call it home, right? After all, there’s a piece of my heart in every city that I have ever lived. We have been fortunate to live in some outstanding places, and I have wonderful memories of each and everyone, not to mention awesome friends.

Our trip would not have been complete without a visit to Joe Patti’s! We loaded up the cooler and have been able to indulge in some wonderful seafood since we returned to the farm. I have taken a very simple Shrimp and Grits recipe and changed it up by using smoked Gouda. This recipe is fast and simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but serve it to guests at your next dinner party and they will be asking for the recipe.

Leftover smoked Gouda grits make a special breakfast treat. I like to heat the grits in the microwave for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high. Then stir in a small amount of water, the amount will depend on the amount of grits you have leftover. Warm another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and top with a sprinkling of cooked and chopped bacon, chopped tomato, chopped scallion.

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Smoky Gouda Grits and Shrimp
 
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Serves: 4
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Ingredients
  • 32 oz. chicken broth
  • 1 c. uncooked quick-cooking grits (not instant)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 c. (8-oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
  1. Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt, pepper, butter, and shredded Gouda. Stir until the cheese melts. Set aside and keep warm.
  2. While the grits are cooking, start cooking the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon from pan.
  3. Cook shrimp in the same pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. (I do this in batches)
  4. When all shrimp are to the almost pink stage, add all back to pan, if you have removed any to cook in batches. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley, green onions, and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.
  5. Spoon grits onto individual serving plates or shallow bowls; top with the shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.